Since the onset of the conflict, both Russia and Ukraine have been embroiled in a web of misinformation, making it difficult to discern fact from fiction.
One recent example involves Ukraine announcing the death of Russian naval officer Viktor Solokov, only for him to appear alive via video link at a Russian meeting the next day. However, it remains unclear whether the Russians showed an old recording, and if Viktor Solokov is actually alive.
Blatantly unbelievable claims
However, some claims are so outlandish that they are instantly debunked. Such is the case with Russia's recent assertion that they shot down a British Storm Shadow missile with a British crew inside. This claim was made by the Russian state-owned news agency Ria Novosti and has since been met with ridicule on social media platforms like Twitter.
As anyone familiar with military hardware would know, the Storm Shadow is a type of cruise missile. By definition, it is unmanned, making the Russian claim not just false but laughably so.
The Twitter community was quick to mock the Russian statement. Among the most popular comments were:
"Use your fantasy like the Russians do. That missile needs a pilot though? Or two maybe and at least one flight engineer."
"Don't understand. How do you get a British crew inside a missile?"
These comments highlight the absurdity of the claim and how quickly social media users were able to see through it.
If you're wondering about the size of a Storm Shadow Missile, you can catch a glimpse of it in the video below
